Choosing Your Experience: Simple Mode vs. Template Editor

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Eve Martin

Last updated on Jun 5, 2026


When setting up an event in Pictor, you will choose how you want to configure the photo booth experience. This is done through the Choose Experience stage in your event workflow — and it is where you decide between two approaches: Simple Mode and Template Editor.

Where to Find It

Navigate to your event, then open the workflow and select the Choose Experience stage. This is the central place where your experience configuration is defined and saved. Whatever you set here determines exactly how your booth behaves when the event goes live.

Path: Event → Workflow → Choose Experience

Simple Mode

Simple Mode is designed for fast, guided setup. Instead of building from scratch, you select from a set of predefined options that Pictor walks you through — great when you want to get up and running quickly without a lot of manual configuration.

Best for: Quick setups, straightforward events, or when you want Pictor to handle the structure for you.

When using Simple Mode, you must complete the following before saving:

  • Aspect Ratio — Select at least one. Available options: 1:1 (square), 4:3 (standard), 3:4 (portrait), 16:9 (widescreen), 9:16 (vertical), 2:3 (portrait print).
  • Output Type — Select at least one. Options: GIF, Boomerang, Video, AI Image, AI Video. Each output type changes what the booth captures and delivers to guests.
  • AI Prompts — Required if any AI output type (AI Image or AI Video) is enabled. Select at least one prompt to apply.

Pictor validates these requirements at save-time — you will not be able to save until all required fields are filled in.

Plan availability by output type:

Output Type Plan Required Notes
GIF / Boomerang All plans Basic, Pro, Premium
Video Premium Live event video capture
AI Image All plans Token costs apply (1 token/output)
AI Video Premium Token costs apply (10 tokens/output)

Note: Video capture and AI Video require a Premium plan ($149/mo). GIF and Boomerang are available on all plans.

AI token costs (per output):

  • AI Image preview generation — 1 token
  • AI Video generation — 10 tokens

Template Editor

Template Editor gives you full control over the experience. You build and manage templates directly, customizing the structure, behavior, and layout in detail — ideal for complex setups, branded experiences, or events with specific requirements.

Best for: Advanced configurations, heavily customized events, or when you need precise control over how the experience looks and behaves.

Each template in Template Editor includes the following fields:

  • Title — The name displayed for the template.
  • Subtitle — A short secondary label shown beneath the title.
  • Body HTML — Custom HTML content rendered inside the template.
  • Allow Search — Toggle that enables guests to search for this template by name at the booth.
  • Visibility toggles — Control where the template appears (e.g., in the booth kiosk, in sharing flows, etc.).
  • Preview Mode — Shows a live preview of how the template will render for guests.
  • Export Mode — Configures the export format and output behavior for this template.

Template actions: Each template supports the following actions from its card in the Template Editor:

  • Set as Thumbnail — Sets this template as the visual thumbnail shown for the experience.
  • Use Prompt Settings — Applies the AI prompt configuration from this template across the experience.
  • Delete — Removes the template from the experience.

Organizing templates: You can drag and drop templates to reorder them, and organize them into folders for easier management when you have a large number of templates.

Switching Between Modes

You can switch between Simple Mode and Template Editor at any time within the Choose Experience stage. When you switch, the interface updates to reflect the selected approach. Make sure to configure and save your settings after switching — only the saved configuration is what runs at your event.

Note: Simple Mode and Template Editor are two ways of configuring the same experience. They do not create separate flows — whichever one you have saved is what runs.

Pre-Registration

Pre-registration uses the same configuration you set in the Choose Experience stage. There is nothing extra to configure — if you are using Simple Mode, your pre-registration flow follows Simple Mode behavior, and the same applies for Template Editor. The experience your guests see during pre-registration reflects whatever is currently saved in Choose Experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use both Simple Mode and Template Editor for the same event? No — only one approach can be active at a time. The configuration you save is what Pictor uses at runtime.

What happens if I switch modes partway through setup? The interface will update, but your previous configuration will not carry over automatically. You will need to configure and save the new approach before it takes effect.

Does the mode I choose affect pre-registration? Yes — pre-registration automatically follows whichever mode you have configured and saved in the Choose Experience stage.

I saved my configuration but nothing seems to have changed — what should I check? Make sure you saved after making your selection in the Choose Experience stage. Unsaved changes are not applied at runtime.

What aspect ratios are available in Simple Mode? 1:1 (square), 4:3 (standard), 3:4 (portrait), 16:9 (widescreen), 9:16 (vertical), and 2:3 (portrait print). You must select at least one before saving.

Do I need AI prompts configured to use AI Image or AI Video? Yes — if you enable AI Image or AI Video as an output type in Simple Mode, you must also select at least one AI prompt. Pictor will block saving until this is set.

What plans include Video capture? Video capture (including live event video) requires a Premium plan ($149/mo). GIF and Boomerang are available on all plans.

What is AI Video and why cannot I enable it? AI Video is a Premium feature. It requires an active Premium plan. If you do not see it as an available output type or cannot enable it, check your plan level.

How many tokens does AI Image or AI Video use? AI Image preview generation costs 1 token per output. AI Video generation costs 10 tokens per output.

Can I reorder templates in Template Editor? Yes — templates can be dragged and dropped to reorder them. You can also organize them into folders if you have many templates to manage.

What does "Set as Thumbnail" do in Template Editor? It sets that template as the visual thumbnail representing the experience — the image shown when browsing or selecting experiences.